Book of the Kuzari. A Book of Proof and Argument in Defense of a Despised Faith. A 15th Century Ladino Translation (Ms. 17812, B.N. Madrid)
Culver City, CA: Labyrinthos, 1990. Limited edition. Hardcover. 4to. XXI, [1], 215 pp. on acid-free paper. Original green smyth-sewn clothbound with silver illustration on front cover and silver lettering on spine. Fourth volume in the "Sephardic Classical Library" series. Lazar's edition of Kuzari is based on the only surviving Ladino translation, a 15th-century manuscript preserved at the Biblioteca Nacional in Madrid. A philosophic defense of Judaism in the form of a fictional dialog between the King of the Kuzars and a Jewish sage, during which a philosopher, a Christian and a Muslim are consulted about religious truth and the nature of faith and monotheism, resulting in the King's conversion to Judaism. The Ladino version edited here emerged a generation before the Inquisition, at an extremely troubled time in the life of Iberian Jews, providing them with a message of hope and consolation. Contains a selected bibliography. Preface and Introduction in English; text in romanized Ladino. Book in fine condition. vg. Item #38940
ISBN: 0911437525
Price: $95.00